Not that it matters
by That-Bookish-Ravenclaw
Summary: As Cato is dying Clove is all he can think about. His motives for trying to kill Peeta, and how he feels.


**Not that it matters - **

Cato could feel what Peeta was doing; slowly drawing a cross on his hand, in his own blood. He knew what was going to happen. He had already accepted his fate. He was dead anyway, he was dead without Clove. He had one last task to fulfil before he died and went to join her: he had to take the thing Katniss loved most away from her. And while in the arena that had been Peeta. He wanted to punish her for taking Clove. He'd already disposed of Thresh, and now it was time to push Katniss over the edge.

Peeta struggled against his hold and Cato tightened his arm, cutting off the other boy's oxygen supply.

"Go on, shoot! And we both go down and you win." He struggled against the other boy, loosening his headlock slightly. "Go on! I'm dead anyway." His mind flickered to Clove, how he'd never have been able to marry her and have the life they'd both wanted. "I always was, right? I just didn't see it until now."

Cato stopped and looked around "How's that? Is that what they want?

Peeta jerked away, repeating his bloody cross on Cato's hand.

"I can still do this. One more kill. It's the only thing I know how to do anyway." Clove's dead body appeared at the front of his mind. He could have killed that girl in a million ways; but when it came to saving her, he had been useless. "Bring pride to my district."

Katniss let her arrow fly. It hit the dead centre of the cross Peeta had made. In a split second Cato pulled his hand away from Peeta and the boy with bread simply slipped from his grasp and pushed the career over the edge of the cornucopia, into the mouths of the baying muttations.

As their teeth and claws started to shred his skin Cato found his mind go incredibly clear before pictures swam across the vision of the fallen tribute.

_Clove smiled across the training room at him, a playful smirk on her lips, something darker in her eyes. She span away from him, letting three knives fly from her left hand. Each one hitting the centre of the target. Her hair whipped around her face as she looked over her shoulder; just to make sure he'd seen her. After all, that display had been for his enjoyment. _

The muttations were getting really set in to their task now. They were slashing and gnawing at his flesh. Cato shut his eyes and turned his focus again to some of his happiest memories. Memoires of the girl he'd been unable to save. The only person he wanted right now.

_Trees overhung the pebbled path. Leaves swirled around them as they walked down the hidden route. Beautiful spots like this were hard to find in District 2. Everything was built for something, it was very utilitarian. But this area of beauty had, for some reason, been allowed to remain, untouched and unspoiled. Clove slipped her hand into his and smiled up at the taller boy. They were breaking the rules; they shouldn't be in this place and they most certainly shouldn't be here when they were supposed to be training. Cato looked down at her and pulled her to a stop, before moving in to kiss her, gently on the lips. It was a rare occasion, normally their kisses were furious and full of raw passion. Kisses like this were their own way of say "I love you"._

A moan of pain slipped from Cato's lips. It wasn't from the damage the mutts were inflicting. In all their time together, Clove and Cato had never actually said "I love you" to each other. Those soft, tender kisses had seemed enough. And now, more than anything, Cato wanted to turn back time and make sure he said it to her every single day.

_Cato dunked his feet into the stream, tugging his cut-offs up a little as the water licked around his knees. Clove was only a few metres away, in her sports bra and a pair of boy-shorts. She was swimming lazily in the gentle pull and tug of the water. Her eyes were closed and she looked completely relaxed. A lot younger than she normally did, in fact, to Cato, she looked almost harmless. He playfully flicked a handful of water at her, it landed on her face. Her eyes flew open and narrowed as she honed in on Cato. She stood in the water and her shoulders dipped forward. Cato smirked back and slid into the water. "I'm going to pay for that, right?" He was greeted with a swift nod before Clove launched herself at him, dragging him into the water._

A small smile crossed what was left of Cato's lips. He had loved that day they'd spent together. They'd finally been able to escape their trainers and they'd just run and run until they found the stream. It had been a peaceful day, full of not-so-innocent touches and deep, meaningful kisses.

_Cato stood over a small, sleeping form on the train. Clove was tucked up in bed, her brown hair splayed across her pillow, she looked tiny in the massive bed, drowned by the thick quilts and blankets from the Capitol. Cato fought the urge to wake her, to simply sit and chat with her. He knew he needed to apologise for volunteering. He hadn't been thinking when he had. He just knew he had no choice but to try to protect her. And that was the plan; make it look like Clove was doing everything but keep her safe and then die at the end - leaving her to be the victor and to come home safely. _

How he wished he'd woken her, just to hold her, to apologise, to explain his plan and make sure she would stay safe.

_The gym was quiet, only two people were in there. It was after hours. They shouldn't have been awake, let alone roaming the District 2 training centre. Tomorrow was the reaping, everyone wanted a little extra sleep; just in case they were chosen. Clove stood at the knife range, two small blades in her hands. She was staring at the practice dummies. A slightly hollow look in her eyes. Cato came up behind her and wrapped his arms around the much smaller tribute. _

_"What's wrong?" He asked her, sensing something was amiss._

_"I'm pregnant, Cato."_

The dogs were losing interest now that Cato was not much more than a bloody hunk of meat, moaning on the ground. In a final act Katniss took her last arrow, knocked it and sent it flying into the centre of Cato's head. Releasing him from his suffering, and sending him to join Clove and their baby.


End file.
